Art - an interpretation of nature and life

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

Even-though different definitions and interpretations at different times have been formulated on the term "art", none is accepted as the ideal definition. The eastern concept of art is often associated with sculpture, painting, dancing, music and drama. The words 'art' (English) 'Kunst' (German) and 'ars' (Latin) all signify skill and any craftsman with a particular skill is an artist. However, the concept of art bears multiple meanings, suggestions and implications within various cultures.

Art is a part and parcel of man's day to day life. Man views different buildings and some of them produce a tremendous effect on his mind. He is captivated by the unique, eccentric way the buildings have been planned, decorated and positioned. This can be regarded as the art of architecture which itself is a visual art like sculpture and painting.

The visual arts in man's day to day life include various vessels, furniture, textiles and other household articles. In short visual arts include everything that makes complex human life easier and makes the immediate surroundings beautiful.

Different

For instance, the music we enjoy on different media has the capacity to influence the mind and sharpen our sensations or change our reactions. Music gives expression to the fundamental sensations generated in human mind.

On the other hand, dancing in varied forms is an art which uses human body as the medium. Dancing traditions such as Bharatha, Kathak, Manipuri, Upcountry or low country or any form of complex dancing may exhibit man's emotions with body movements. This art has been widely studied by man for centuries and has been employed as a powerful art of expression and entertainment.

We may enjoy a drama at a theatre and witness happiness, sadness, pleasures and sufferings unfold on the stage. Whether it is a tragedy or a comedy or a musical drama, the art of drama possesses the ability to widen the scope of our thinking and expose us to realities of life.

Thus, the spectators gain a glimpse of life and nature. The art of cinema more or less has the same capacity to attract wider audience. The costumes, scenes, characters, dialogues and background music elevate a drama or a film as a popular art. Radio dramas, teledrams, stage dramas and films have managed to sustain immense popularity.

Expression of ideas through language is yet another form of art. Writing and reading readily illustrate man's thoughts, impressions, emotions and attitudes which shed light on man's reaction to nature and life. Books have preserved this art throughout history because what has been written remains more in existence than what has been uttered.

Writers have immortalised the beauty the world and the pleasures of healthy emotions. They view contemporary problems and phenomena with an artistic eye and leave much for readers to ponder upon. They have produced unique masterpieces about love, bravery, beauty of nature, innocence, danger and endurance. Literature which comprises poetry, drama, novels, short stories, biographies or science fiction reflects the creative potential of man.

Sculpture, painting and architecture fall into the category of visual arts. The art quality does not depend on a particular criterion.

Everything man has created for his purpose of living has a certain art quality but the painting, sculpture or architecture stand out in importance in terms of art quality. The aesthetic quality of any work of art adds much to the artistic value of it and offer multiple implications for the user of it.

Nature and art are different. But art is considered to be an interpretation of nature and is a unique creation of man. The beautiful natural phenomena such as sunset, waterfalls or beautiful scenery is not art but man's interpretation of it is a work of art.

The prominent characteristic of any work of art is its ability to keep the people absorbed in it. Any person who read or watch any work of art inevitably feels that he is inseparably linked with it. At the same time there is no universal criterion to judge the artistic value of any work of art because one person's reaction to art may be totally different from that of another.

A person's taste for art is largely determined by his emotional and intellectual level. Two persons watching a stage drama may evince totally different attitudes to and express different opinions about the same drama. A poem harshly criticised by a certain critic may be eulogised by another critic of the same capacity. So judging a certain work of art as successful or unsuccessful predominantly reflects one's intellectual and personal aspects.

Primitive art

Art in primitive societies is closely associated with nature - the primitive people's immediate surroundings and life. This art includes dancing and singing (performed in magical sense) together with paintings which reflect primitive man's lifestyle in harmony with nature. This art bears on anthropological studies. The cave paintings of Kaduru Pokuna and Ganegama (Sri Lanka), Altamira (Spain), Lascaux (France) and aborigine's paintings (Australia) reflect primitive man's simple taste and his respect and awe for nature.

Rural art

The rural art in Sri Lanka is an impressive topic of discussion and study. This particular art comprises sokari, nadagam, folk tales, folk songs, rural literature, bali paintings and masks. The literature, paintings, music and drama which have been nourished within the rural societies simply exhibit the rituals, tastes, beliefs and ideals in rural set up.

The scope of rural art is limited because it is concerned mainly with the emotional aspects and it has failed to open up the consciousness of people.

However, it is to be noted that fine arts may take the form of rural art due to external factors.

For instance, the fine arts (Sigiri paintings and sculpture) of Anuradhapura became after centuries rural art in Kandyan era with its low quality of paintings and architecture. Yet the fine art in any given country has duly evolved from rural art and rural art still remains in existence in every country.

Popular art

The definition to this art is "the art that imitates the superficial characteristics of the natural world with the shallow elements of art". This art deals with the simple thoughts and impressions of people and is widely publicised by means of the television and the radio. This art achieves immediate popularity by means of the attractive elements in it. Sometimes the popular art is seen to be exploited by eminent artists as a medium of expression because popular art has had its own quotient of prominence and recognition.

Fine art on the other hand qualitatively represents the diverse aspects of human mind. With a very serious approach. Fine art widens the audience's consciousness and its components such as music, painting, sculpture, literature, dramatics, and cinema are intended to produce spiritual discipline and one's awareness to the nature.

"The basic function of art is to convey an impression or experience by means of movement, lines, colours, sounds or words" (Leo Tolstoy)